Method for making absorbent items and an absorbent item obtained using this method

ABSTRACT

According to a method for making disposable diapers/adult incontinence pads, a diaper/incontinence pad is made whose pad is in three layers one on top of another; two outer layers of the pad consist of absorbent material and are positioned on opposite sides of an intermediate layer, which consists of a mixture of the absorbent material forming the two external layers and shredded material obtained by shredding faulty diapers/incontinence pads rejected from the diaper/incontinence pad production line.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for making absorbent items and an absorbent item obtained using this method.

[0002] The absorbent items according to the present invention are disposable items such as adult incontinence pads, diapers, ladies' sanitary towels and similar items. However, the following description refers, without limiting the scope of the invention, specifically to children's diapers/adult incontinence pads.

[0003] As is known, disposable diapers/incontinence pads comprise an absorbent pad which is normally within a soft retaining cover consisting of an inner permeable sheet of spun-bonded material and an impermeable polyethylene outer sheet, joined together and having shaped edges and elastic seals. The absorbent pad is normally made by feeding absorbent material, basically consisting of cellulose fiber, at the outer edge of a forming drum, whose outer edge has a plurality of suction seats shaped according to the desired anatomical shape for the pads. A forming drum of the above-mentioned type is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,484.

[0004] Due to the complexity of both the diapers/incontinence pads themselves and the processes known for making them, diaper/incontinence pad production has a relatively high level of rejects. This, together with the high cost of the raw materials necessary for making the diapers/incontinence pads, results in significant economic losses.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The aim of the present invention is to provide a method for making absorbent items which allows the economic losses resulting from production rejects to be reduced or eliminated.

[0006] Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for making absorbent items, each of the absorbent items comprising a soft retaining cover, having a first and a second face which are opposite one another and consist of at least one sheet of material, and one pad, placed inside the cover between the first and second faces and obtained from at least one absorbent material. The method comprises steps of feeding the absorbent material to a pad forming device, and identifying and rejecting faulty absorbent items. The method comprises further steps of transferring the reject items to a shredder device, to obtain shredded material from the rejected items themselves; and feeding the shredded material to the forming device together with the absorbent material for making the pads.

[0007] Another aim of the present invention is to provide an absorbent item with low production costs.

[0008] Accordingly, the present invention provides an absorbent item of the type with a soft retaining cover, having a first and a second face which are opposite one another and consist of at least one sheet of material, and one pad, placed inside the cover between the first and second faces and obtained from at least one absorbent material. In addition to the customary absorbent material, the pad of the absorbent item comprises shredded material obtained by shredding the faulty items from a production line for said items.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The present invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention without limiting its scope of application and in which:

[0010]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for implementing the method in accordance with the present invention;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a cross-section of a preferred embodiment of the absorbent item in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] With reference to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a production line for disposable diapers/adult incontinence pads 2.

[0013] As illustrated in FIG. 2, each diaper/incontinence pad 2 comprises a soft retaining cover 3, which has a permeable face 4, consisting of a sheet of spun-bonded material and designed to make contact with the wearer's skin, and an impermeable face 5, consisting of a sheet of polyethylene, opposite the face 4 and stably connected to the face 4 in a known way, which is not illustrated.

[0014] The cover 3 is delimited by anatomically shaped edges, of the known type and not illustrated, along which there are elastic seals, also of the known type and not illustrated, and inside, between the faces 4 and 5, the cover holds a multi-layer pad 6 made using three layers 7, 8, 9 of absorbent padding, one on top of another.

[0015] The layers 7 and 9, respectively placed substantially in contact with the faces 4 and 5, comprise cellulose fiber mixed in a known way with particles of super-absorbent material, whilst the intermediate layer 8 comprises a mixture of cellulose fiber, particles of super-absorbent material and shredded material obtained by shredding faulty diapers/incontinence pads rejected from the production line 1. In particular, the cellulose fiber, the particles of super-absorbent material and the shredded material are present in a preset ratio in the above-mentioned mixture.

[0016] The line 1 is now described with reference to the block diagram in FIG. 1, in which each block represents an operating unit of a known type, not requiring detailed descriptions.

[0017] The line 1 comprises a feed unit 10 for a web (not illustrated) of spun-bonded material for making the faces 4, a feed unit 11 for a web (not illustrated) of polyethylene for making the faces 5, and a feed unit 12 for the absorbent material for making the pads 6.

[0018] Specifically, the unit 12 is connected to a forming device 13 for the pads 6, which is part of a forming device 14 for the diapers/incontinence pads 2 and is of the known type for the formation of multi-layer pads.

[0019] The unit 12 comprises a feed device 15 for the cellulose fiber, a feed device 16 for the particles of super-absorbent material and a feed device 17 for the above-mentioned mixture of cellulose fiber, super-absorbent material and shredded material.

[0020] The device 14 for forming the diapers/incontinence pads 2 has an outfeed connected to a conveyor belt 18 for the diapers/incontinence pads 2 which are free of defects, and one or more collection points (not illustrated) for faulty diapers/incontinence pads connected to a conveyor belt 19, in turn connected to the infeed of a shredding mill 20.

[0021] The mill 20 outfeed is connected to the infeed of a mixer 21, which has another two infeeds, supplied respectively by the devices 15 and 16 and an outfeed connected to the feed device 17 for the mixture produced by the mixer 21.

[0022] Line 1 operation is easily deduced from the above and, therefore, does not require further explanation.

[0023] However, it should be emphasized how the diapers/incontinence pads 2 have, on the one hand, low production costs and, on the other hand, are as wearable and comfortable as conventional diapers/incontinence pads which do not contain the shredded and recycled material. In particular, the latter feature is guaranteed by the fact that the layer 8 containing the shredded material is placed between the two layers 7 and 9, in which the shredded material is completely absent.

[0024] The above is only one preferred embodiment of the method in accordance with the present invention. In simplified alternative embodiments, which are not illustrated, the device 13 can form pads consisting of a single layer in which free or controlled doses of the shredded material are mixed with the cellulose fiber and/or super-absorbent material, or it can form multi-layer pads with any given number n of layers, in which at least one layer comprises the shredded material, or, alternatively, consists exclusively of the shredded material. 

What is claimed: 1) a method for making absorbent items; each absorbent item comprising a soft retaining cover, having a first and a second face which are opposite one another and consist of at least one sheet of material and one pad, the latter being inside the cover between the first and second faces and obtained from at least one absorbent material; the method comprising steps of feeding the absorbent material to a device for forming the pads, and identifying and rejecting faulty absorbent items; the method comprising further steps of transferring rejected items to a shredding device in order to obtain shredded material from the reject items; and of feeding the shredded material to the forming device together with the absorbent material for making the pads. 2) The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of mixing the shredded material with at least part of the absorbent material to be fed to the forming device. 3) The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein that each pad is made up of at least two layers on top of one another; at least a first layer of the layers comprising the shredded material. 4) The method according to claim 3, wherein at least a second layer of the layers consists exclusively of the absorbent material. 5) The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the pads is made up of at least three layers on top of one another; at least a first layer of the layers comprising the shredded material and being in an intermediate position between a second and a third layer, both external, of the pad. 6) The method according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the second and third layers consists exclusively of the absorbent material. 7) The method according to any of the claims from 3 to 6, wherein the first layer is made by mixing a given ratio of the shredded material and at least part of the absorbent material to be fed to the forming device. 8) The method according to any of the claims from 1 to 7, wherein the absorbent material to be fed to the forming device comprises cellulose fiber and/or super-absorbent particles. 9) An absorbent item of the type with a soft retaining cover, having a first and a second face which are opposite one another and consist of at least one sheet of material and one pad, the pad being inside the cover, between the first and second faces and obtained from at least one absorbent material; wherein, in addition to the customary absorbent material, the pad of the absorbent item comprises shredded material obtained by shredding the faulty items made by a production line for said item. 10) The item according to claim 9, wherein the shredded material is mixed with at least part of the absorbent material in the pad. 11) The item according to claim 9 or 10, wherein each pad comprises at least two layers of padding placed on top of one another; at least a first layer of the layers comprising the shredded material. 12) The item according to claim 11, wherein at least a second layer of the layers consists exclusively of the absorbent material. 13) The item according to claim 9 or 10, wherein each pad comprises at least three layers of padding placed on top of one another; at least a first layer of the layers comprising the shredded material and being in an intermediate position between a second and a third layer, both external, of the pad. 14) The item according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the second and third layers consists exclusively of the absorbent material. 15) The item according to any of the claims from 11 to 14, wherein the first layer consists of a mixture, containing a given ratio of the shredded material and at least part of the absorbent material. 16) The item according to any of the claims from 9 to 15, wherein the absorbent material comprises cellulose fiber and/or super-absorbent particles. 